Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

It can be difficult to orient yourself on the ground in Shanghai. A map will help, but an aerial view of the city will show you just how awesome this city is. You could charter a helicopter, but a far cheaper option is seeing the Urban Planning Exhibition Center’s 1/500 scale model of Shanghai. The model encompasses the city’s core and fills an entire room! Visitors walk around it on an elevated platform, pointing out tiny versions of Shanghai and Jin Mao towers, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Across the "Huangpu River" you can see tiny boats, low-rise houses, and towering apartment blocks.

The Urban Planning Museum in Shanghai has a full-scale replica of the entire city fully equipped with lights, cars on the street, and even a few tiny pedestrians walking along The Bund! It certainly feels like you're on top of this bustling city!

This model is so detailed and accurate that you can see locals pointing out their windows! The clear buildings are buildings that have yet to be built -- supposedly this model is what Shanghai has planned through 2020!